Prédestiné
by Midnite Solstice
Summary: ROMY: A Chance Encounter Sequel. Set post DOFP: The Rogue Cut. He had professed his love for her with his dying breath in a world where mutants were hunted by sentinels. Their future now changed, will they be given a second chance to love each other? When a future timeline converges with the present it will change both of their lives forever.
1. Cause & Effect

**Disclaimer: X-Men characters belong to Stan Lee & Jack Kirby. DOFP: The Rogue Cut belongs to Fox. The amazing cover image I found on tumblr.**

Hey there everyone! So technically this is a sequel to my previous movie fic _**A Chance Encounter**_. You shouldn't need to go read it if you don't want to, although there will be slight throwbacks. So this is set immediately after the events of _**DOFP: The Rogue Cut**_. And of course this is ROMY so there will be plenty of our favourite Ragin' Cajun.

I know how long many of you have been waiting for this and I'm sorry it took so long but I've been working on the outline for months. I was a little disappointed in myself that _**Chance**_ basically became "How many different ways can Anna and Remy have sex?" I'm going to try and avoid that trap this time around.

I will rate chapters appropriately though ;-)

Drop me a review. xoxo

* * *

 **Prédestiné**

 **Cause & Effect**

Remy LeBeau collapsed in a pile of sordid ecstasy as he finished making love to the woman underneath him. This one was blonde and large breasted. She was giggling and kissing his lips as he sat back against the headboard to catch his breath.

He knew that he had a way with women and never tired of taking them home to his bed. Although in this case he was the one who had been taken home. He continued to roam his hands across her back as she continued kissing him until they heard a car come down the driveway. The blonde shot up like a deer in the headlines. The husband was home. She leaped off of Remy and began to scramble up his clothes.

"You need to go now." She threw his pants at him.

Remy began to pull them on. "You never said you were married." He was looking around for his jocks but couldn't find them.

"You never asked." She tossed the rest of his clothes onto the bed and went to the doorway. "I'll go and stall him while you climb out the window."

Remy shook his head while pulling on his boots and trench with his t-shirt still in hand. "When will I see you again?"

"I'll call you." She kissed him again dizzily on the lips before running down the staircase.

This was a two-storey house and the bedroom was on the top floor so Remy climbed from the window and perched on the roof. He would wait here until it got dark and then he would climb down a neighboring tree.

Remy was a drifter. A mercenary for hire. His cell began ringing and a name flashed on the caller ID. Essex.

"LeBeau." He answered.

"Good evening, Mr LeBeau. I understand you wish to employ my services."

"The word on the street is that you can help people." Remy's hand surged with kinetic energy for a moment, so much that it hurt. It felt as though it was on fire. He had kinetically charged his mobile phone without realising. He took a deep breath and surged the energy back down into his body, defusing the explosive potential, but causing him great pain in the process. "I need help." He grunted into the receiver.

"Very well Mr LeBeau. Come and see me at my office and I will examine you. However my services do not come cheaply."

"Money won't be a problem." Remy was only telling a half-truth. He would get the money somehow.

"It's not money that I am interested in. I will see you in one hour."

It had only been recently that Remy had noticed a surge in his powers, but they were spiralling out of control and something needed to be done.

Nathaniel Essex was a genetic scientist that specializes in mutant genealogy. After giving Remy a thorough examination he was fascinated at the thief's kinetic potential, however if left unchecked there was no telling what could happen. The energy would continue to build, threatening to explode spontaneously. Essex agreed to correct LeBeaus genetic condition through surgery and in return Remy would be at his disposal. Remy Lebeau's loyalty didn't last long however, as things took a turn for the worst. Remy ended up with blood on his hands...too much blood; and so he deserted from Essex, the scar on the back of his head a permanent reminder of the guilt he would carry with him forever.

* * *

Wolverine's head was in a spin. "Jean...you're here." A few seconds earlier she had greeted him and asked if he was ok. How could she be asking him that, after everything that had happened.

"Where else would I be?" She smiled at him. Jean looked stunning, dressed all in red. It dawned on Logan then, that Jean had no idea. He reached out his hand, intending to caress her cheek, tuck a wisp of fiery red hair behind her ear when a different hand reached out and halted his.

"Whoa, easy pal." It was Summers. Of course it was Summers.

"Some things never change." Logan had literally rewritten history. Whatever had come to pass in this lifetime was drastically different to the life that he knew. Scott had not died, which meant neither had Jean. Logan suddenly realised that meant whatever had happened between him and Jean...nothing had happened. She wasn't his. Although she had never really been his to begin with; but even now, being with Scott, at least she was here, alive, breathing in front of him. Logan could live with that.

He put a hand on Scott's shoulder. "Good to see you Scott."

Even behind the visor, the look on Scott's face said it all. "Uhuh, I'll see you later Jean." He began to brush past them muttering to himself as he walked away from the pair and up the staircase.

Logan saw the Professor next, exactly how he had remembered him from his future. Then he realised that Charles Xavier was the only person here besides Hank that would know anything about anything. "Professor..." He mumbled.

Jean continued to stare at him, trying to work out what was going on behind Logan's features. Self-restraint as a telepath was something she was very good at.

"Logan...is everything alright?"

"Yeah..." He said, still in disbelief at the woman standing in front of him. Jean scrutinised him one last time, not certain that she believed him.

"Yeah...I think it is." He said again, more confidently this time.

Jean's features softened and she smiled again, before brushing past him to follow Cyclops down the hall.

Logan's attention turned to Xavier. He was immersed in a book at his desk.

"You did it."

"Did what?" Charles replied, the irritation in his voice was clear. Xavier tossed the book down onto his desk. "Logan, Don't you have a class to teach?"

"A class...to teach?" Logan was confused now.

"Yes, History."

"History?" Logan grinned. "Actually I could use some help with that."

"Help with what?" Xavier had no idea that Logan's future self had finally caught up with the present day.

"Pretty much everything after 1973." Logan watched as the cogs ticked over inside Charles' head. "I think the history I know is a little different."

"Welcome back."

"It's good to see you Charles. It's good to see everyone."

"We have a lot of catching up to do."

* * *

Logan spent the first few days in this new future trying to get his head around what had changed and what had stayed the same. Due to the failed assassination of Bolivar Trask back in seventy-three there had been no Sentinel Programme. Mutants were still feared, although not quite as hated. Life was a little easier.

On his way down to Charles' office, Logan had caught a glimpse of Rogue walking down a hallway holding hands with Drake. It was strange for him to realise that these kids had all grown up. The last time he had seen Rogue was when she had been detained by the Sentinels; when he had to make the decision to leave her behind. He still felt guilty. The Cajun had wanted to punch him in the face that day on the jet. It was at that moment it had dawned on Logan...the Cajun. Where was Gambit? He had become such an integral part of the Xavier Institute that Logan knew. He had become the most important part in Rogue's life, and Rogue was always going to be important to Logan. Wolverine's mind then went off on another train of thought. How had he met Rogue in this lifetime? Had she still climbed into the back of his truck at sixteen and running scared? How was Logan supposed to differentiate between what he remembered and the new history that had been cemented?

Meanwhile, Logan was avoiding Jean like the plague; trying to work out his relationship with her...whether or not they had any history at all. He was going to assume the answer to that question was a no, because what else could he do?

After a couple of days, Jean approached him in his bedroom.

Knocking on the door she gingerly asked "Can I come in?" before walking in anyway.

"Jean." Logan greeted her, trying to keep this as casual as possible. He stood at his window so Jean made herself at home on the end of his bed.

She cut straight to the point. "Have I done something to upset you?"

"Jean, you don't need to do this."

"I feel like I've done something wrong. These last couple of days..." She wasn't implying anything sexual. "You're being so distant."

"It's easier this way. You'd never believe me if I told you the truth."

"We live in a house full of mutant powers and you want me to question what's possible?"

Jean got up off the bed and moved to stand in front of him. He could smell her perfume. He wanted her so badly by this point, but if it was one thing Logan had learnt over the years was self-control.

"You don't have to tell me you know..." She raised her hands to the side of his head and was about to close her eyes to focus when Logan grabbed her wrists.

"Jean no! There are things that happened. Things you shouldn't see. I'm happy that you're here but..."

"Logan, you're not making any sense."

"It's better this way..."

"Whatever you're going through, I could help." She pressed.

"You really want to help me?"

Jean nodded. "Of course I do."

Logan moved forward quickly, placing his hands behind her head. Kissing her lips, he took Jean completely by surprise. She only indulged him for a moment before stepping back and asking "What was that?"

Logan smiled. "Just working through some things."

She looked so confused that he tried to reassure her. "It's ok; really. It's just like I thought."

"I should go." She made her way to the door when Logan's voice made her pause for just a moment.

"Jean...it's really good to see you."

* * *

Frustrated by the lack of information he held about his new present, Logan made his way to Professor Xavier's office.

"What am I supposed to tell everyone, Charles? The truth isn't even that far-fetched."

"The truth might not be that implausible Logan, however you need to consider how the truth impacts everybody else around you. Time travel is a very delicate matter. I would like you to give me an example of something that has dramatically changed by your going back to 1973."

"Well, in my present, Scott and Jean are both dead. Were both dead." He corrected himself.

"And how did that happen?"

"The short version? Jean's powers evolved into something she couldn't control, and she killed him. She didn't mean to. I had to kill her; she was dangerous...I know that sounds ridiculous."

"So you tell everyone the real reason that you don't remember your time here. People begin asking questions about the present that you described to Hank and I all of those years ago. Scott and Jean begin to wonder why there is no mention of them, and then you have to explain to Scott that he was murdered by the woman he loves. Can you imagine how that might affect them? The strain it would inevitably put on their relationship; the impact it would have on Jean?"

"So I'll tell them they died at the hands of the Sentinels."

"How are you going to remember the truth from the lies; on top of the new memories you create as you go forward in your life? If you believe you are struggling now give it a few weeks. Even you wouldn't be able to remember what the people around you know and don't know. Kitty has only newly developed the ability to send someone's consciousness into the past. We have done extensive trials to determine how the past, present and future can affect one another. I can ask her into my office to explain to you the damage you may do by revealing too much information."

"How much information is too much information?"

"You must be careful not to mention anything that might influence decision-making. For example; you cannot tell people when they are going to die, who they are going to marry or how many children they are going to have. Even something you might deem as unimportant has the potential to alter the future."

"So what do you suggest?"

"You tell everybody you have amnesia."

"You don't just wake up one day with amnesia; Professor."

"Well perhaps you hit your head? I'm sure you will come up with something creative. Logan, I really believe this is for the best. I will speak to Hank and he will support your story."

Logan could see the Professor's point. Scott and Jean were just one example. So much had changed from the world that he knew. In his sentinel-ridden future he had gotten involved with Ororo. It had began out of desperation. Their world was ending. Jean was dead. He had let her go, finally able to move on. But now; Jean was here. He wasn't sure how he felt, he wasn't sure about a lot of things. the only thing he was sure about was that it wasn't fair to enter into anything with Storm until he knew.

The Professor called a faculty meeting later that day. They all stared at Logan when he said he was suffering from memory loss.

"A few nights ago, sometime last week; I was having trouble sleeping, so I got up and went for a ride on my bike. Tried to clear my head. It was late, it was dark, I wasn't really thinking straight. I was tired. I swerved to avoid hitting some roadkill and I came off my bike. I hit my head pretty hard. I was a bit disorientated, but thought I was fine. Made it back home ok, went to sleep, but when I woke up..."

Cyclops was sceptical. "You don't remember anything? Who am I?"

Logan raised an eyebrow. "You're an ass. Look, I remember who all of you are, I just don't remember much else. I don't remember last week, or last month...anything I do remember I couldn't tell you when it happened. I'm going to need all of your help." Logan had rendered the X-Men speechless. "I guess we just treat today as a fresh start."

"Why didn't you tell us when it happened?" Jean was the first to speak."

Hank spoke up from his place beside the Professor's desk. "We were not certain that his memory loss would be permanent. We are still not certain. These situations are delicate. We thought it best to wait and see if things might improve considering Logan still recognises us and his surroundings."

Logan was grateful that Hank was in on this too. "This doesn't need to be a big deal. I won't be teaching History to the kids anytime soon but..."

This elicited a chuckle from around the room. The story wasn't perfect but at least it would explain his vague expressions while stumbling through conversation.

Jean's eyes narrowed as Logan spoke. She didn't believe him for a second.

* * *

LeBeau continued to drift from place to place until he found himself in Salem Centre, Westchester. He was running out of money and pick-pocketing was not going to sustain him for long. As fate would have it he found himself outside of the Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters. He figured at the very least he could scrape together some spare cash, maybe even something to eat. Ever since defecting from Essex, Remy had been looking over his shoulder; not wanting to stay in the same place for long. He was expecting repercussions. Telling Nathaniel Essex to shove his employment may not have been the smartest choice the Cajun had ever made.

He waited until the early hours of the morning before slipping over the gates and moving towards the mansion. Remy was stealthily silent and it wasn't long before he spied an open window. The window was up on the higher levels but that didn't phase him; so Remy started climbing. Once inside he was began moving down the dark halls and slipping in and out of each bedroom. He didn't spend long in each; pulling the cash from wallets before placing the wallet back where he had found it. He never actually took the wallets and tried to avoid sentimental jewellery. He wasn't an asshole, he only did what he had to.

Creeping down the main staircase he found the kitchen. Remy wasn't in the habit of raiding people's fridges but judging by the furnishings of this place he didn't think it would be missed. He found some leftover takeout in a plastic container; rice, meat and vegetables. He sniffed it and then proceeded to pick at it. Even cold it tasted good; he hadn't eaten since yesterday. Being careful not to overstay his welcome, Remy began to make his way back upstairs.

Logan had woken up to go to the bathroom and on his way back to bed he caught the scent of something odd in his room. He vaguely recognised the subtle hints of jambalaia, cigarette smoke, cheap cologne and whiskey that was distinctively Cajun. What was he doing here? Logan pulled on a pair of pants and began to move down the hallway. The scent was stronger on the staircase which suggested Gambit had gone down them and back up again.

Remy had been doing this for a while and had a fairly good sense for when someone was following him. He began to move faster and slipped into the first room he came to. He began to rummage around for anything of value and after opening a bedside drawer he found a gold ring on a chain flanked with red stones. Remy couldn't say he wasn't tempted. Before he could make a decision he was interrupted by the ensuite door opening. He froze; the light from the bathroom exposing his presence in the room. Knowing he had only moments before he was potentially discovered in the house he deployed whatever powers of persuasive charm that he possessed; focusing on the silhouette in the doorway.

Rogue was so startled at the sight of a stranger in her room that she almost screamed but found she was unable to open her mouth. She glanced over at Bobby who was still sleeping soundly in their bed.

Remy moved closer to the woman, quickly; pressing an index finger to his lips he whispered "shhh" before moving the finger to her lips; as if he was emphasizing the urgency of her silence.

Rogue studied the man's face. She wasn't afraid of him, in fact it was nearly the opposite. She smiled; thinking he didn't know how lucky he was to be wearing gloves.

He removed the finger before lightly running his hand down her arm.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He whispered, before running his hand back up her arm and resting it beneath her chin; tilting her face upwards towards his. His Cajun accent made Rogue weak at the knees.

Remy hadn't planned to get so carried away, but then again he never did. His charm was what helped pick up so many women. Remy would have been lying if he said he wasn't looking at her like that. She had curves in all of the right places, she was gorgeous, and she was in her nightie.

Rogue couldn't stop looking at the intruder's eyes. They were red on black irises. Even though the bedroom was dark, the light creeping in from the bathroom was just enough to illuminate his features. It was the strangest thing; she felt mesmerised to the very spot she was standing on, not being able to move; even if she wanted to, even when the man leant down closer; as though to kiss her. His lips came within inches of her own and if she let him...well she would have an unconscious stranger on her bedroom floor; but maybe it was worth it.

Their moment was interrupted when Logan began banging on her door.

"Rogue? Bobby? Are you ok in there?"

Remy leapt back from her and hastily made a break for the window of their room as the the hammering on the door began to wake Iceman. He pulled the window up, slipped out and began to climb down the side of the building without looking back for a second. Rogue was still standing in the middle of her room with a feeling of complete confusion. She shook it off before running to the door and finding a worried Wolverine when she pulled it open.

"Are the two of you ok? Was there anyone in here?" He asked hurriedly.

Rogue wasn't sure what compelled her to lie; but she did.

"What's going on?" She asked innocently.

"I think we had an intruder in the school tonight."

"What? Are you sure?" Bobby asked as he tried to wake up, rolling over in the bed.

"You hit your head again Logan?" Rogue teased.

Logan pushed his way into the room. "I can smell him. He was in here."

Rogue blushed slightly. "I didn't see anyone...but I was in the bathroom."

Logan moved to the window that was still open. "Here. He's gone." That Cajun could move...

Wolverine grumbled. "Go back to sleep we'll deal with this in the morning."

Rogue wouldn't sleep for the rest of the night. She couldn't shake his face from her thoughts, the three day old stubble, the red on black eyes and the sweet mix of cologne and whiskey that made him smell so darn good. What bothered her the most was the accent. She would have bet her last dollar that she had heard his voice somewhere before.


	2. A Favour For A Friend

**AN:** Wow! Almost a two-year hiatus. I am a horrible person :-P

I haven't been entirely absent, I churned out a TAS roster ROMY comic fic called Awakening. I was happy for the distraction, I thought I knew where Prédestiné was going...turns out nope. I've never stopped thinking about this story and then I was waiting for Gambit the film to start production and such...but yeah. I've completely changed direction of where I want to go. This is a good thing, it means there shouldn't be such a long wait in-between updates. I've overhauled the cover image (which I shamelessly stole from the internet) and the summary.

Sorry this one is short but stick with me people, I have big plans! Now without further adieu...

* * *

 **Prédestiné**

 **A Favour For A Friend**

"Why would someone want to break into a school?" Cyclops asked the next morning.

Logan had called Scott, Ororo, Jean and the Professor together for a meeting.

Scott was not happy. "I'm going to review the security tapes."

"I've had everyone check their rooms; he ran off with some cash, that was it." Logan told them.

"So it was just petty thievery then?" Storm reasoned.

"How did the intruder get in? There was no forced entry anywhere." Jean asked.

"A top storey window, and out the same way." Wolverine replied.

"Are you sure?" She shook her head. "Who would risk breaking their neck for a couple of bucks?"

"What we should be asking is how can someone so fit and athletic, who can scale buildings with ease, be of use to the X-Men?" Logan was determined to make a pitch for his lost cajun team-mate. Somewhere in this new timeline Gambit had never found them, but as far as Logan was concerned, he was a part of their family.

"If he was only after money perhaps he is down on his luck?" Ororo suggested.

"How do we know they're even a mutant?" Jean asked.

Scott wasn't having it. "Mutant or not, I don't see how recruiting a thief into our team is a good fit."

Logan sighed. "There's no point checking the tapes I already know who it was."

"Logan?" The Professor was curious.

He looked over at Xavier. "I'm going to go and talk to him Charles."

Scott threw his hands in the air. "Of course you are."

"Logan, a word with you in private please." Xavier asked dismissing the others. After they had filtered out he continued. "Do you know something the rest of us don't?"

"I recognised the scent."

"From your old timeline?"

"He's not a bad guy. Name's Gambit. He was a solid part of our team for years, right up until the end. I would have thought he would have found us by now. I guess things happened differently this time around."

"Go and talk to your friend. Just be mindful that you will be a stranger to him, assuming the two of you have never met before he became an X-Man. This must be difficult for you Logan, having lived one life and now you are living another."

"We saved the world. It's a sacrifice that someone has to make." He shrugged. "Hardest part is keeping my damn story straight."

"Providing your friend is willing to come back with you to the school, you will have a hard time convincing the others to give him a chance. He has already broken their trust."

"But I've got your support?"

"I am willing to give this Gambit a chance, providing he has the proper attitude. Although there will be a probation period, given the circumstances."

"Thanks Charles. You won't regret this."

* * *

It didn't take Logan long to track the Cajun down. He found him in a diner huddled over a cup of coffee on the counter. It was raining outside and the diner was warm. He took the stool next to Gambit and couldn't help but eavesdrop.

The waitress leant over the counter. "You need a refill handsome?"

Logan watched as Gambit looked down into his cup, opened his wallet, but only managing to produce a crinkled dollar bill. Sighing, he crammed it back into his jeans. "No thanks. I'm good."

The waitress smiled sympathetically before moving across to Logan. "How about you love? What can I get you?"

Logan pulled out his own wallet. "I'll have a cheeseburger and fries with the lot and two large coffees. I'll have mine black and the other one is whatever my friend here is drinking. Maybe pour a shot of whiskey into both. Keep the change." He handed the notes over to the waitress and she carried on cheerfully.

"Coming right up."

Remy glanced over at the stranger as his coffee was placed down in front of him.

"Somethin' I can do for you mon ami?"

"You're Remy LeBeau?"

"Depends on who's askin'?"

"The name's Logan." He picked up his coffee before standing up. "Let's move this to a booth shall we?"

Logan settled himself into the leather covered seat and placed his coffee down. He looked at Gambit expectantly, but the Cajun simply hovered, unsure on how to proceed. "Sit down. I don't bite kid."

"What do you want?"

"I want the two-hundred bucks back that you stole from my school...but you don't have it do you?"

Gambit shuffled on his feet. "Don't know what you're talkin' 'bout."

"Cut the crap. I know it was you."

"You don't know anything."

"You're not the only one with special talents." Logan motioned again for him to sit. "I didn't call the cops, and I stopped my friends coming after you themselves. I'm not the bad guy here. I just want to talk."

Remy slid into the booth.

"What did you spend the money on? Drugs? Booze? Girls?"

Gambit scoffed. "Got two nights in the grungy motel across the road and had enough left over for a coffee." He nodded out the window and Logan turned to look. There was a ramshackle run-down motel on the opposite side of the street. Logan's face contorted into a look that was a mixture of concern and disgust.

The waitress lowered the cheeseburger and fries onto the table and Logan pushed it in front of Remy.

"That's for you."

"You bought me lunch?"

"Yeah. You look like you need it. Listen, you're obviously in some sort of trouble if you're breaking into people's houses for petty cash and that's your business. But I'm offering you a chance to turn it all around. And judging by the looks of that dump over there I would take it."

Remy was devouring the burger but paused to look up at Logan. "A man as charming as Remy always finds a way to scrape by mon-ami." He paused again. "What exactly are you offering."

"A roof over your head. A chance to earn back the money you took, and a place where you can do something worthwhile."

"And if I say non?"

"Well my friends might come looking for their cash...and I don't think they'll be quite as understanding as me." Logan was bluffing of course, but he had the Cajun backed into a corner.

"So you blackmailing Remy oui?"

"No. But you've been inside the rooms at the Institute. Much nicer than across the road."

Gambit was skeptical. "Why would you help me? You don't even know me."

Logan thought carefully about his answer. "Let's call this a favour for a friend." Logan had never quite forgiven himself for leaving Rogue to die at the hands of the Sentinels, and for letting Gambit go after her to his own death. Of course; he alone carried this burden. He had saved the future, but he was still plagued with guilt.

"Remy stole from your friends. Can't imagine they be none too pleased non?"

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Logan stood up and gave Gambit an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "A guy as charming as you could talk anyone around right?"

* * *

That evening, just after classes had finished; a faculty meeting was called at Xavier's Institute for gifted youngsters. Everybody filed into Xavier's office and when Rogue saw the handsome intruder with the cajun accent leaning against the wall, her cheeks turned a dark shade of pink. Kitty, Bobby and Piotr sat down on the sofa, while Scott, Hank and Jean filled out the back of the room. Ororo took the armchair in the corner so Rogue perched herself on the large armrest or Storm's chair. Logan stood next to this stranger, who seemed casual and disinterested. He wore tight fitting black jeans, a purple t-shirt and a long leather trench coat. His hair was scruffy and his chin unshaven. At least a week of stubble covered his jaw. Rogue's eyeballing was interrupted as Charles wheeled himself out from behind his desk to address the room.

"Welcome everybody and thank you all for coming so late in the afternoon. There are some exciting changes coming to our X-Men family, the first of which I will let Logan tell you all about."

"Alright, so most of you know by now the there was a disturbance in the mansion last night. Turns out we had a mutant straggler, looking for food and some cash to put a roof over his head for the next day or two. Before you're quick to judge, just remember that life is hard out there for people like us, and most of you at one time or another have had nowhere to go. Food and a place to sleep is something we can help with, and he will be here until such time as we feel is necessary to thank us for our hospitality. Now if you had cash go missing come and see me, and don't get any funny ideas, I know how much cash belongs to who." Logan would foot the bill for now; Gambit would earn his keep and repay him when he could.

Charles decided to fill the awkward silence as many of the X-Men stared in disbelief that they were opening their doors to a common thief.

"I'd like you all to meet Remy LeBeau. I trust you will all make him feel at home."

"The name's Gambit." His thick accent rolled off the tongue like a smooth glass of whiskey.

Rogue watched him look around the room at all of the new faces, when he locked onto Rogues. His gaze lingered for a moment and he grinned; as though he found something funny. Ignoring him, she turned her attention back to the professor.

"...Which brings me to the next piece of news. Bobby has decided to take a break from teaching to further his own education to study at University next semester. Accounting as I understand."

A low murmur passed through the room as this information was processed.

"As much as their absence will be felt I'm sure we all wish Bobby and Rogue the very best for the future and to remind them they will always have a home here."

Kitty wasn't having it. "You're staying on the east coast to go to school though?"

Bobby stood up. "Afraid not. I got into UCLA. But school doesn't start for a couple of months, so plenty of time for goodbyes. Xavier's has been a special place. I came here when I couldn't go home. In a few years time, who knows. Maybe Rogue and me will come home."

After going through a few more housekeeping announcements, the meeting came to a close however Iceman and Rogue stayed back to finalize their plans. Logan was also there to sort out Gambit's sleeping arrangements.

"Rogue, I'm sure Drake can finish up with the Professor. I've got some stuff to do, why don't you take our new recruit up to his room?"

Logan wouldn't go as far to say he was meddling, but the pieces had fallen into place now, and he was curious about this new timeline and what it meant for the young lady he thought of like a daughter.

Rogue shrugged her shoulders and she slid off the armchair. "Uh sure, where's he going?"

"There's a spare room next to Jean and Scott." Logan said.

"Oh fun." That room was reserved for when Cyclops wanted to keep a close eye on you. She tried to act like this stranger didn't bother her, but Rogue couldn't shake the events from the previous night from her mind. "You comin'?"

"Well I thought I could buy you dinner first?" A cheeky smirk was plastered across Remy's features.

Rogue ignored him and headed straight for the staircase.

* * *

She walked at a quick pace, not even looking at him until they reached the bedroom door. Rogue came to a halt and turned around but Remy wasn't expecting to stop. He bumped into her and Rogue inhaled his cologne deep into her senses. A mix of sandalwood and whiskey. She took a step back with a scowl before noticing he carried no bags.

"Where's your stuff."

"Gambit travels light." Was all he offered.

"Suit yourself. The shower block on this floor is just down the hall, the mealtimes and cleaning roster should be on the back of the door. I don't know if Logan has talked to you about training yet but don't be late to his sessions or he'll kick your ass."

"Hold on...you're telling Remy I don't get my own shower?"

"Have you seen how many people live here? This ain't a hotel, you have to earn an en-suite room."

"You have an en-suite room."

"Oh so you noticed while you were creeping 'round in the dark."

"Among other things. You have an exquisite figure."

"Does that line work for you a lot then?" Rogue wasn't entertaining him for a second.

"I'm just a man with a good eye."

"Well I'm sure your good eye also noticed my boyfriend Bobby in my bed."

"I did notice. He's a bit too wholesome for my tastes though; I like brunettes."

He was quick, Rogue had to give him that. "Where do you get off skulking around in people's rooms like that; breaking into a school of all places."

"I didn't know it was a school." He sighed. "Look Remy's not proud of who he is. But we all do what we need t' get by. Yesterday I was homeless, hadn't eaten for three days. Today I'm hanging out with mutants that run a school for little mutants; at least until I repay what I owe."

"This place might be good for you."

"We'll see." Remy leant back against the door of his room. "I hope you and I will be friends."

"Is seeing them in their underwear a prerequisite for all of your friends?"

"It certainly gets you fast-tracked. No need to be embarrassed Chére."

"Fast-tracked to what?"

"Non-non. There's no need to rush."

"Rush?"

"This dance. This chase. There will be plenty of time for Remy to win you over non?"

"Pfft." She scoffed. "Keep dreamin' swamp boy." Rogue could easily place his mix of cajun french.

"Perceptive little river rat aren't you? What part of the south you hail from belle?"

"You first." She challenged.

"Why don't you guess?" He threw back at her.

"And if I get it right?"

"Then you win a prize."

"Oh boy." Rogue could only imagine. "You're from Mardi Gras country, down in the bayou."

"You be from Mississippi, Remy never forget an accent like yours."

"You like accent's huh?"

"I like the way they roll off the tongue."

"I'm starting to think you just like the sound of your own voice."

"It's not a foolish notion Chére, Remy be very good with his mouth."

Rogue could have sworn he winked at her just then, but she was choosing to ignore it. "Goodnight...Gambit; was it?"

"Oui. You can call me Remy though."

"Lucky me." She sassed.

Remy leant back casually against the door of his room as Rogue started to walk away. "So what do you all do for fun around here?"

Before Rogue could answer him, Scott approached to enter his room next door.

"You're not here to have fun, you're here to work. If you plan to stay out of trouble I'd remember that."

Remy leant over to Rogue and mumbled quietly "He always like this?" Rogue couldn't help but grin.

Cyclops continued. "Wolverine spoke up for you, LeBeau. Why, I'll never know. One foot out of line and you're out. Don't blow it."

"Who do I see about getting my own bathroom?"

"Oh you won't be here long enough to worry about a room upgrade. You can count on that."

"Nice glasses you wearin'; did you know it's dark out?"

Scott walked over to his new recruit and stood just in front of him, trying to demonstrate his authority. "Oh you don't want me to take these off. Trust me. Your eyes always look like that?" Even through the ruby quartz, Scott could make out the darkness of Gambit's eyes.

"Your face always look like that?"

"Oh real mature. Just keep your head down around here, that's all I'm saying. Oh and drop the wise-ass attitude too."

Rogue had kept walking down the hallway; away from the two men. Scott called out to her. "I thought Logan asked you to give him the tour, where do you think you're going?"

Looking over her shoulder she called back to Cyclops. "Nah-uh, he told me to show him his room, he's your problem now."

"Rogue!" Cyclops tried again.

"I ain't no babysitter." She had spent far too much time around Wolverine.

In truth Rogue had felt uneasy being around this new-comer. She couldn't put her finger on the reason why. Rogue had never met him before, she would most definitely remember something like that. She also ruled out being attracted to him; in truth she already found his blatant flirting irritating. For now she would chalk it up to him seeing her virtually in her underwear. Her satin black nightgown left nothing to the imagination. Here they were, complete strangers; and now she felt naked every time he looked at her.

Everything would be alright though; Bobby was due to start school in just a few weeks. They would be leaving in just over a month; there wouldn't be any time to get better acquainted with the X-Men's newest arrival.


	3. Making Friends

**Hi guys! Sorry I haven't been around lately - life happened. I've enjoyed working on this again - I can't get Rogue and Remy out of my head but I can't promise fast updates. I am determined to keep going so stick with me. Also if you're not reading Kelly Thompson's magnificent mini comic series titled "Rogue & Gambit" you should be! It's crazy good. ;P**

 **xxx**

* * *

 **Prédestiné**

 **Making Friends**

Professor Xavier sat with his hands neatly folded on his office desk. "No drinking on the school grounds, no smoking and no drugs on the school grounds. Any visitors to the school must be logged and scheduled in advance."

Cyclops stood against the back wall. "That means no bringing home strange women you pick up."

Gambit sat quietly in his chair and refused to bite at Scott's backhanded commentary.

"Well then, you sure are dotting your i's and crossing your t's non?"

"Just making sure things are clear."

"Crystal."

Charles wanted to be fair, but firm. "First and foremost this is a school, and our students safety is of the utmost paramount. We have opened our doors to you; Mr Lebeau, on good faith. Whilst I trust you will be on your best behaviour for the tenure of your stay, I will be entrusting your handling to Scott.

"You and I are going to be very good friends." Scott's voice was laced with only a hint of sarcasm.

"The best, mon ami."

"Scott?" Xavier arched an eyebrow with a friendly warning.

"Professor?"

"I expect you to set a good example."

"You don't have anything to worry about Professor. LeBeau, time to put you to work."

* * *

Rogue was on her way to the Institute's garage when she passed Jean and Ororo on their way out. The two women were smirking and laughing together and Rogue eyed them curiously.

"Wow ladies, somethin' funny?"

"Are you on your way out Rogue?" Jean asked.

"Yeah, I'm just heading out to the store."

"There's a veritable feast for the eyes in the garage." Storm added.

"I feel obliged to call Kitty down here." Jean tapped two fingers to her head indicating a telepathic message.

Rogue just shook her head as she continued on through to the garage space. It didn't take long to see what all the fuss was about. Gambit was lying shirtless on the floor, wrench in hand, tuning up the motorcycles. Grease streaked his face and shoulders since he had just finished working on all of the cars. Ignoring him she walked over to the far wall where all of the keys were kept, and then she sighed, realising that he had pulled the bike out and was directly in the way of her car. She walked over to him and stood there with a hand on her hip.

Remy smirked as he continued to tighten the front wheel.

"Ahem." She cleared her throat loudly. He caught her eye for a moment and took his time standing up. Taking a rag off the handlebars Remy started wiping his hands clean.

"Do you mind?" She had a hand on her hip.

"Not at all. Remy's not afraid to get his hands a little dirty."

"You're in the way of my car."

"Oh this is your car, Rogue?"

"Yes it is."

"Apologies mon Cherie. Remy'll just move this out of the way." Gambit hit the kickstand with his boot and began to slowly bring the bike around to the side, making room for Rogue to get to her car. "You know, if you wanted to, I could give you a ride."

"You mean on that thing? With you?"

"If you ask nicely, Remy might even put on a shirt."

"I don't have a death wish."

"You don't know what you're missing Roguey."

"Roguey? Don't ever call me that again."

They both turned to see Kitty come barreling through the garage door, with an expression showing as though she thought she might miss something. As her eyes raked over Gambit's bare chest it was clear she was just in time. "Uh, Rogue, did I leave my jacket in your car yesterday?" Her cover was clumsy at best.

"No, I don't think so. I was just leaving though, why don't I check...?" Rogue took the opportunity to climb into her driver's seat and away from the shirtless southerner. She signalled to Shadowcat that there was no jacket before reversing from the garage. Kitty shrugged as Remy just looked at her with a lopsided grin. "No jacket, cool, I'll let you carry on there...covering yourself in grease." She gave him a small wave before hastily exiting back to the main foyer.

* * *

Lunch-hours at Xavier's school were usually a chance to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. The teachers all took turns at being rostered onto different areas of the school to supervise the students either in the library, the rec room or on different parts of the school grounds; the main courtyard, the swimming pool or on the basketball courts. Rogue was on her way down to the main courtyard but she made sure to stop by the maths classroom first. Bobby Drake sat at his desk battling through an overly large stack of paper.

"Hey." She greeted him on her way in.

"Oh, hey Rogue."

"I'm just on my way out to the courtyard, thought you could do with some sunshine?"

"I would love to, but; we just had that big Algebra test and I promised Cyclops I'd have them all marked before I finish up."

"That's still no excuse to grade papers during your lunch hour." She scolded him.

"It is if I want to finish everything before we leave." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We are doing the right thing aren't we? Packin' up and moving?"

"Bobby, you've wanted to study for so long now. You and me have been here since we were kids, we never had a chance to do thing's for ourselves. Xavier's is amazin' but we are entitled to a life as well."

"You sure you're not going to miss this place?"

Rogue put her hands comfortingly on his shoulders. "Of course I am. Xavier's is home. That's the great thing about home though, we can always come back."

Iceman smiled from ear to ear. "I am so lucky to have you." He gave her hand a small squeeze.

"Me too."

Rogue blew him a kiss on the way out the door.

* * *

When she reached the courtyard Rogue took a moment to look around. The students sat around in groups chatting or playing games while they ate. She spied Piotr and Ororo sitting side by side on a grass verge next to the courtyard gardens talking happily. She went to join them but stopped when she saw Gambit approach them. He had been sitting by himself until then and Rogue watched as he flopped down on the grass next to them.

"Bonjour." Remy greeted them.

It all happened rather quickly then, Storm and Colossus' demeanour stiffened and their friendly banter ceased into forced smiles and long silences. Ororo was not one to be rude though, she asked the new addition how he was settling in and if he liked his room. Remy replied that it was nicer than any of the cheap rooms he usually slept in. Not long after Storm excused herself to go and chat with a group of students about an upcoming project leaving Remy and Piotr to engage in awkward small talk.

A few more minutes passed and Colossus stood up giving the excuse he had to go set up the gym for afternoon training. Remy offered to help; he would be glad to feel useful, but his offer was promptly declined. They both couldn't have left fast enough. It bothered Rogue very much to witness the unwelcome behavior, even more so as she watched Gambit try to not let it bother him. His head hung a little in defeat, his body language changed and his shoulders hunched over. This wasn't High School, they were all adults. She crossed over to him quickly and asked sweetly "This spot taken?"

Gambit lifted his head in surprise and motioned for her to sit.

"Please."

She stretched out on the grass next to him comfortably. "Don't let them get to you."

"You saw that huh? Pfft. Don't you worry 'bout ol' Remy. Don't need friends, I've been fine on my own for a long time."

"Everybody needs friends."

"Been happening all week. Everybody suddenly got somewhere better to be. I was hangin' wit' Logan but he busy fixing that fancy training room in the basement. Told me it would be a good chance to get to know some of the others."

"That's awful. I plan on givin' everyone a piece o' my mind. Tell em all to stop bein' so judgy."

"Don't put yourself out for a lowlife for me Chére. Dat's what they all think you know. Dat they all better than me."

"We're all here for the same reasons. We should be all looking out for one another, doesn't matter where we come from or what we've done. You know when I arrived here people treated me like I carried some sort of disease. It pisses me off when I see them do it to other people."

"Now why would they think that?"

"O' course; you don't know." She told him about her powers with no hesitation. "I kill people when I touch them."

Remy's face looked perplexed.

"With my skin. That's why I wear these." She motioned at her gloves. "...And...layers."

He still said nothing, just watched her with...amusement? She couldn't tell.

"I mean, it's handy to knock people out; I suck the life right out of them, and if they have mutant powers I borrow them for a bit; that part's kind of cool I guess." She was rambling now. "It has its...drawbacks too, obviously."

"I'll bet."

"It is what it is. There's no point getting all down about something I can't change."

"Wait so you be covered up all the time, you can't turn it off?"

"Nope."

"Have you tried?"

She laughed. It was a genuine, out loud, laugh. The most genuine laugh that had graced her voice in a long time and it was beautiful.

"Only my whole life. My gift isn't exactly one I can practice a lot, you know? People ain't lining up to be my guinea pigs."

"You could practice on me."

"I'm told it feels like bein' hit by a freight train."

"So wait...would I wake up?"

"Depends how long I..."

"...Kissed you for?" He cut her off, finishing her sentence for her.

She smacked him on the arm. "You're cheeky, you know that?"

"I been told that once or twice."

She tried to brush over the sparks and get the conversation back on track. "People were frightened by me. It was lonely, and it hurt."

"Can't imagine why anyone be scared of you. How old were you...when you found out?"

"I'd just turned fourteen."

"Merde...so young."

Rogue shrugged. "I guess."

Remy brushed his hand lightly across her gloved fingers. Rogue let her hand linger just for a moment before pulling it away and getting to her feet.

"I hafta go get ready for my afternoon class."

"Whatcha teachin' Miss?" He looked up at her with a smirk.

"English."

"The language?"

"No silly, literature. Books! Character studies."

"Sounds like fun." Remy quipped sarcastically.

"Actually everyone loves my class. It's right up there along with Art and Drama."

"If Remy had a teacher like you Rogue, he'd love your class too. Maybe I could enroll for a private tutoring session."

"Walked right into that one. I'll leave you to keep sunning yourself out here; swamp boy. Need to work on your tan." She patted him playfully on the shoulder.

* * *

Rogue rolled over and grasped around with her eyes closed for the source of the irritating ringing in her ears. Wrenching one eye open she realised it was her alarm clock, with the numbers blinking 5.30am. She could hear the muffled sound of running water from the bathroom and surmised that Bobby must have beat her to the shower. It was Saturday morning, which the schedule meant Logan's danger room training. She hoped Bobby wouldn't be too much longer; if she didn't get under the water soon there would be no time for coffee.

Rogue and Iceman took the elevator down to the lower levels of the Institute. The bitter aftertaste of the coffee still lingered in her mouth.

"Why are we still doing this when we're taking off in a few weeks?"

"You know you'll miss this. Team-building, kicking each other's ass in the name of training. I'm gonna hang onto every last bit of being an X-Man. It's not like we're gonna be visiting anytime soon."

Bobby sometimes forgot just how much Rogue loved being part of a team. The clock was coming up to 6am and most of the X-Men were still filing in. Wolverine and Cyclops however were wasting no time with their latest argument.

"You must have hit your head pretty hard Wolverine. Now you think you're in charge?"

"Saturday morning's are my session so yeah, I think I am."

"The X-Men are still my team, and you're sticky-fingered friend there is not an X-Man."

Rogue looked over and noticed Gambit leaning against the wall, dressed in grey X sweatpants with the X-logo, a black t-shirt and his trench. He obviously didn't have a uniform.

"I want to see what he can do. I don't think I'm the only one." He looked over at Jean. "Jean?"

"People are curious. Especially given that in a matter of weeks, we'll be down two members."

"The day that Gambit wears a uniform is the day that I retire. He will never be an X-Man."

"Your words Cyclops, they cut deep you know? My life's ambition to be a member of the great X-Men...ruined forever non?"

"You think you're real clever huh?"

"I think that after a week of scrubbing toilets I've earned the chance to blow off some steam. Live a little homme? You might enjoy it."

Logan was eager to get things started. "We actually have even numbers in the teams for once. Listen up!"

The Danger Room computer read out the team members in a clear and orderly fashion.

Red Team: Storm, Jean, Iceman, Rogue and Colossus.

Blue Team: Cyclops, Beast, Shadowcat, Gambit and Wolverine.

Logan continued. "Each team is made up of two ranged attackers, two melee attackers and of course someone who makes things interesting; in this case, Jean for the Red and Kitty for the Blue. Play to your team-mate's strengths and your opponent's weaknesses."

Cyclops continued on setting down the rules. "Now some ground rules. Each team member is assigned a certain number of hit points, this is to simulate how much of a beating you can take in the real world but stops short of having you beaten to a bloody pulp during training. Once you've taken too many hits that's it, you're out; end of discussion. Training ends when only one of you is left standing, taking the win for your team."

Remy leaned over and asked Logan, "Wait, so the fightings not real?"

"Oh the fighting's real, the points system is to keep people out of the infirmary." He replied.

Kitty chimed in standing on Gambit's left. "Not to mention whichever team has Logan on it would win every time. We don't all have unlimited health."

Logan rolled his eyes. "It's generous, don't worry. You'll still get to let off your steam." He raised his voice to address the room. "Everyone spread out! Red Team, I want you at the far end of the room, Blue will head to the other. Computer, start the simulation."

 _SIMULATION LOGAN XMVJ24601. SIMULATION BEGINS IN THREE...TWO...ONE..._

Gambit looked around in surprise as the room transformed into an urban jungle; war torn with smoke and debris. Large portions of buildings were missing. As team leader Wolverine was quick to form a strategy plan.

"Beast, you go and keep Colossus busy and Cyclops..."

Scott wouldn't let him finish. "I'll go find Storm." He would not be told what to do, even if Logan was running the session.

Gambit ran one direction with Shadowcat on his heels while Wolverine ran the other. He pulled his cards out at the ready as he rounded each corner; eyes peeled for any member of the opposing team. A whistling caught his ear and he turned, throwing the playing cards as he did. The kinetically charged cards sliced through three large ice shards that were on perfect trajectory towards his body. Gambit looked for his opponent but couldn't find him fast enough. A fourth ice shard was already too close. Remy considered grabbing his staff out of his coat pocket but knew he wouldn't be fast enough. Bracing for impact, the last thing he expected was for Shadowcat to leap on him, grabbing his shoulders. His stomach dropped as his body turned intangible and he felt his eyes betray him; watching the icicle pass through them both and shatter on the building behind them.

"Sorry!" Kitty apologized for the uneasiness she knew he was feeling. "You get used to it."

The pair kept inching forward, searching for their opponents. They turned a corner only to duck back behind it to dodge a steady flow of ice. Shadowcat signalled that she was going to target him. If she could phase into Iceman then his ice would turn intangible as well. Gambit would follow behind. No sooner had Shadowcat moved out of sight Gambit felt a kick to the back of his shins. He stumbled forward and into the wall of the building next to him. Surprised he turned around to see Rogue in full combat mode with fists up.

"Oh, little Roguey's got some moves."

She punctuated her response with punches. Lots of punches. "...I thought...I...told you...not to...call me...that..."

He blocked each one, although not without effort. She was fast, but he was faster.

"Remy ain't in the habit of hittin' ladies you know."

"You're gonna make this real easy for me then." She kept laying into him, aiming for the upper body. She was winning too, or maybe Gambit was going easy on her. He could read her tells like a book, comfortably blocking her fists, whilst at the same time letting the occasional punch connect.

Just when she thought she was getting somewhere, Gambit turned his back to her, reached into his trench, and in one swift movement extended his bo staff and swept it out through her ankles.

"Ow!" She exclaimed, falling flat on her backside.

Gambit extended his arm to help her up, ignoring the fact they were currently on opposite teams.

His arm was blocked by a sudden forming ice wall that appeared between them. Iceman had appeared at Rogue's side and froze a large protective ice bubble to encase the pair. Gambit was impressed, but he had some tricks left of his own. Placing two hands evenly spaced apart onto the under-sized igloo; he took a deep breath and began to charge it. The ice started to glow neon pink as it thrummed with kinetic energy. Once he was satisfied he leapt for cover behind the nearest building while the ice shattered. Icicles flew everywhere. The computer generated programme simulated voice loudly announced that both Iceman and Rogue were now eliminated from the exercise. Gambit shrugged, he hadn't thought he had charged the bubble overly much. Peering through the debris he saw Iceman protectively hunched over Rogue trying to shield her; Remy felt a small pang of jealousy. He watched them get to their feet and brush themselves off. Rogue put an arm over Bobby's shoulder and he placed one around her hip to help her hobble out of the arena, it looked like one of her ankles was injured. She caught Gambit's eye for a moment as they made their way over to the benches.

"Good work!" Shadowcat told him as she appeared next to Gambit. He couldn't tell if she was being genuine or facetious. "Come on let's keep going. We have a training session to win."

"So what do we get if we win?"

"Bragging rights mostly. Oh and the losing team does the dinner dishes for a week."

"Sounds good to me."

"This is actually really good having you here. Normally Logan sits out because of uneven numbers. We have a pretty good chance this time."

The pair rounded the corner of the buildings to try and get a grasp on what was going on in the rest of the arena. Beast and Colossus had sparred off against each other, with Piotr claiming the victory. Cyclops was firing optic beams into the air trying to hit Storm while Wolverine and Jean were sizing one another up. Remy ran over to give Logan a hand. Pulling out his deck of playing cards, he lit them up and threw half a dozen in a wave all at once towards the rival team's psychic mutant. She deflected them easily with a psionic shield barrier, although Jean was a little bit impressed with Gambit's abilities.

Colossus was still trying to recover from his fight with Beast so Shadowcat took the opportunity to leap onto him from behind. She took him by complete surprise, phasing him into the floor from the waist down; before jumping off. He was now trapped in the floor.

"Kitty! Moya lyubov, you aren't going to leave me like this are you?"

"Sorry babe! You know how much I hate being on kitchen clean-up." She leaned in and gave him a cheeky kiss on the cheek. Shadowcat probably had the world's most unfortunate timing. As Cyclops was firing at Storm, an optic beam hit her square in the chest. Her fingers were in the middle of conjuring an electrical bolt and her momentary lapse in concentration sent errant sparks shooting towards the ground. Colossus; being the large metal conduit that he is; was the perfect conductor. Shadowcat was sent flying across the floor after the sparks shot right through her body. "SHADOWCAT ELIMINATED"

"Kitty!" Piotr roared. At that moment he stopped caring for the integrity of the Danger Room floor and ripped his metal legs up and out creating a very large hole. Once he was mobile he de-metal-ed himself and ran over to his girlfriend, picking her up tenderly and rushing her over to Hank. The pair wasted no time in taking her straight to the infirmary. This may be a simulation, but the injuries were very real.

 _SIMULATION SUSPENDED_

The bright white lights of the sterile danger room returned as the holograms of war-torn scenery flickered out of view. Storm landed back onto the floor and the remaining competitors gathered around. She felt terrible and ran towards the doors alongside Jean. Storm wanted to make sure Kitty was not seriously hurt.

"I think we'll call it there for the day." Logan voiced what everybody was thinking. As the group began to disperse Remy moved back in to walk next to Wolverine.

"It always this exciting?"

"Not normally no. You look like you held your own."

"It was fun. Shame about the kitten, that shock looked like it hurt."

"She's in good hands. Good thing about this place is there's no shortage of people who can patch you up. Hank and Jean are top of their fields."

Remy looked over and saw Bobby icing Rogue's swollen ankle on the benches. He excused himself from Logan and made his way over.

"That's convenient, bet you come in handy durin' cocktail parties." Gambit was referring to Bobby's mutant ability using his hands as an ice pack. He was trying to make light of the situation but quickly realised they probably didn't find it funny. "Hey I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you that hard."

"It's fine, it's just bruised." She looked down at Bobby. "Could you give me a hand into the infirmary, I wanna check on Kitty."

Iceman finished compressing Rogue's foot and once again helped her lean on him and walked her out. Gambit was taken aback at how worried everyone was about their injured team-mate. It was years apart from anything he was used to. No-one had every really given a shit about him before, so to see this was refreshing. Even if he didn't plan on sticking around here for too long maybe it wouldn't hurt to try and fit in.

* * *

After showering and dressing he made his way to the kitchen; the busiest room in the institute. The kitchen schedule ran like a well-oiled machine; it had to. Breakfast and lunch was set out much like a hotel buffet, fruit, yoghurt, muesli, breads, and the occasional pastries, fresh each day. Weekends would have a hot breakfast, bacon, eggs, hash, sausage. Lunch was an assortment of breads, soups and salads. Dinner was a much more complicated affair. A different meal on the menu each day. The students would be fed first, once it was all cleared away the faculty could eat from the leftovers or cook their own meal.

After showering and dressing, Gambit had taken one of the institute's shared vehicles and gone for groceries. Paid for out of his own wages he had supplies enough for a Cajun feast. By the time he got back and hauled his cache into the kitchen Jean and Ororo were clearing away lunch and starting to think about preparing dinner.

"Can we help you Remy?" Jean asked sweetly?"

"Non my dear, you misunderstand, Remy's here to help you belles this evening."

"And to what do we owe this pleasure?" Ororo was slightly more sceptical.

"My way of saying thank you for making me feel so welcome. I help cook for the kiddies and then I prepare a feast to delight your culinary senses."

He was true to his word. He even did all of the washing up from when all the students had finished eating. All the while he was delightful and charming, even enquiring about Kitty's wellbeing after the morning's training session had gone awry. Jean was happy to report that Shadowcat was going to be fine.

Rogue and Bobby came in to find Gambit fussing over a large kitchen pot and she thought her nose was deceiving her.

"Mmmmmmm. What is that? I smell Mardi Gras."

"Smell of home Chére. I'm cookin' jambalaya."

"You can cook?" Bobby sounded surprised.

"Can I cook?" Remy laughed. "You can't grow up in Nu'Orl'ns without learnin' a thing or two."

Rogue sat herself down on kitchen stool at the breakfast bar. She turned around to talk to Bobby. "Me and my parents would drive the three hours down from Meridian every year to go to Mardi Gras."

"It does smell good." Jean mused from her chair at the dining table where her and Ororo were relaxing with cups of coffee.

"Is that sausage?" Rogue asked, leaning into the kitchen.

"And shrimp." Remy pulled out a spoon and scooped up a mouthful of rice and meat and held it out towards Rogue to taste. "Peppers, celery, parsley, bay, thyme, and o'course a little Cajun magic."

Rogue swallowed the spoonful eagerly. "Oh my god." She put a hand up to her mouth as she savoured the flavours on her tongue. "That is crazy good."

"Remy's glad there's someone here who appreciates fine southern' cookin'." He winked as he returned to the simmering pot.

The smells wafted down the hallways and soon the whole faculty squeezed their way into the kitchen and dining room. It was the first time in a long time that everybody sat and ate together. Kitty who was feeling much better had also joined them. There were no permanent burns and the volts had been light enough not to cause any damage; but it was a timely reminder that they shouldn't take anybody for granted. Remy thanked everyone for making his first week so welcoming. He laid the charm on thick, trying to make a few people perhaps feel guilty for judging him so harshly. Afterwards Rogue got up to start clearing away the dishes; Gambit was quick to take them out of her hands.

"Non non non, let me."

"You just spent hours cooking for everybody we can't let you clean up. Bobby give me a hand here."

"I insist. My apology for your ankle this morning." His hand lightly brushed over hers as he manhandled the dirty dishes away from her.

"Well then, thank you. "

"You go relax. Take the weight off your foot."

While everyone slowly filtered out to go wind down for the night Logan hung around to give Remy a hand. "What's your game Cajun?"

Remy chuckled. "Game? There's no game mon ami."

"You went to all of that effort just to be nice."

"O'course."

"You're not doing all of this trying to impress anyone?" Logan was well aware that where he came from, Gambit was crazy about Rogue, and she for him. They belonged together. This was not where he came from though. Rogue and Bobby were happy together, Wolverine hadn't gone out on a limb just for Remy to come into the institute and rock the boat.

"Remy just doin' what you told him. Make some new friends you said."

"I did say that." Logan grumbled reluctantly.

"You did." Remy repeated with a grin.

"Just keep it in your pants will you?" Logan threw the damp dishcloth he was holding at Remy's head on his way out of the kitchen.


End file.
